


Courting Gifts

by mfingenius



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Auguste is freaking out, Damen courts Laurent, Don't copy to another site, M/M, No Regent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 05:25:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19266730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mfingenius/pseuds/mfingenius
Summary: Auguste is not ignorant to his brother's beauty. He has had suitors since he was fifteen, and Auguste is fine with it, really, he is. It's not like Laurent ever accepts any of them.That is until he does.From the Crown Prince of Akielos.





	Courting Gifts

“A courting gift for Prince Laurent, from Crown Prince Damianos of Akielos.” Jord announces.

Auguste doesn’t bother to look up from the book he’s reading; this isn’t the first courting gift Laurent has gotten. He thinks it’s hardly the hundredth courting gift Laurent has gotten, but it hardly matters. He always sends them back.

“Thank you, Jord.” Laurent says politely.

Auguste’s mind screeches to a halt. Laurent always says ‘send it back’ without even so much as looking at it. ‘Thank you’ implies he’s accepting the courting gift. Accepting the courting gift implies he’s being courted. But he can’t be courted, because he’s Auguste’s baby brother. He’s a child!

It also seems to take Jord a moment to react, surprise clear on his face. He manages to hide it a moment later, and he places the small gift package on Laurent’s exteneded hand.

Auguste looks up and closes the book, leaving it on the table. He stares at Laurent, who is opening the box and smiling fondly at whatever it is that’s inside. He’s smiling.  _Smiling_. Because of someone who is not Auguste! Because of a foreign Crown Prince who will most likely take him away to a foreign country! To  _Akielos_!

“Crown Prince Damianos?” he asks in his most innocent voice.

“Yes,” Laurent says, closing the gift again and leaving it in his lap before he looks up. “We met last year, when the Akielons came for the Summer Games and you asked me to show Prince Damianos around the palace because you were wrapped up in one of the Vaskian women?”

Right. Auguste  _had_ done that.  _Fuck_.

He clears his throat. “Yes. But, uh. Courting?”

“I didn’t tell you about it before because I didn’t know if he was serious about it.” Laurent says. “He has a, how to say it?  _Reputation_.”

“But you think it’s serious  _now_?” Auguste asks, searching his brain for  _anything_  he knows about Prince Damianos. Likes blondes. Has bedded what is probably the entirety of the women in the Akielon palace, and quite some of the men.  _Likes Laurent_?

“I think so,” There’s a delicate blush on Laurent’s cheeks - one Auguste has not seen before - and Auguste can’t quite stop the alarms from going off in his head.

Somone is trying to court Laurent. Not only is someone trying to court Laurent, someone is  _succeeding_  in Courting Laurent. Laurent is accepting the gifts. Laurent is a child. He cannot be  _courted_.

“Aren’t you… young for this?” he carefully phrases it not to sound like a judgement, because it will only cause Laurent to get angry and do it anyway. 

Laurent cocks an eyebrow. “I’m almost twenty, Auguste.”

Laurent’s birthday is in three days.

“Right,” Auguste says faintly.

“I forgot to tell you,” Laurent continues. “I invited him to dinner. He should be arriving tonight or tomorrow morning.”

Auguste opens his mouth and closes it several times. Laurent invited him to his birthday dinner. Laurent invited an Akielon prince  _willingly_ into the palace. An Akielon Prince who is  _courting him_.

“Right,” Auguste says, again.

Laurent says nothing more on the matter, and Auguste doesn’t ask because he doesn’t think he’s quite ready for more information at the moment. When Laurent leaves for the stables, Auguste beckons Jord over.

“I want to know  _everything_  there is to know about Damianos.” He says. “By tomorrow morning.”

Jord nods. “Of course, your highness.”

*

Damen arrives two days before Laurent’s birthday, in the morning. He dismounts and immediately finds himself with an armful of Laurent, arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Damen laughs merrily and wraps his arms around Laurent’s waist, lifting him from the ground.

“I’ve missed you,” he murmurs, pressing various kisses to Laurent’s jaw - the only visible piece of skin he can reach with his face buried in Laurent’s neck, hidden from view by his Veretian clothing - and rubbing slight circles with his thumbs on Laurent’s hips.

“I have not missed you,” Laurent says, and Damen laughs and pulls away to kiss him on the lips. “Maybe only a little.”

Damen laughs and finally puts him down. He scowls at the laces on Laurent’s neck. 

“I did not miss this,” He says, pulling at the laces, not hard enough for them to come undone, but hard enough for Laurent to feel it.

Laurent smirks teasingly. “Prefer me in a chiton, do you?”

“Don’t tease,” Damen says. He can only imagine how Laurent will look in a chiton, since Laurent has not been to Ios yet.  _Soon_ , he thinks. “I don’t think I’d be able to keep my hands off you if you did wear a chiton.”

“You can’t keep your hands off me either way.” Laurent says smugly. He grabs Damen’s hand before he can protest, and leads him up the palace steps, where the King is standing with an odd look on his face. “Damen, this is my brother, Auguste. Auguste, this is Damianos.”

Damen smiles. “Pleased to meet you, your highness.”

“Likewise,” Auguste says politely. “Jord will show your guards to their quarters so they can rest. I’m sure you’re tired, too. I can show you to your rooms.”

“No need,” Laurent says, before Damen can say ‘thank you’. “He’ll be sleeping in my rooms.”

And then he leads Damen inside without bothering to wait for Auguste’s reaction, which is a withering glare Damen’s way.

*

“I don’t think your brother likes this arrangement.” Damen mutters between kisses, hands wrapped around Laurent’s hips and rubbing gentle circles at his hipbones.

Laurent pulls away, peeved. “You’re thinking of my brother?”

Damen laughs breathlessly, chest moving against Laurent’s; they’re sitting in his bed, and Laurent is straddling his lap. They’ve not gone beyond kissing - and though it is not what Damen is used to, he is enjoying every minute of it.

“I want him to like me.” He explains lightly. “If I want to get his permission to ask for your hand-”

Laurent rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “No. Auguste promised I’d pick who I married.”

“Alright,” Damen says. “But wouldn’t you rather he approves?”

Laurent sighs, and tumbles off Damen’s lap, sitting on the bed beside him. Damen lets his hand slip up and down Laurent’s side soothingly, and Laurent rests his head against his chest.

“Yes,” he says. “It’s just - I have missed you.”

Damen presses his lips against his hair. 

“I know, sweetheart.” He says. Laurent never gets like this outside, in front of anyone else. But here, with him, Laurent lets Damen see all of him, and Damen treats it like the rare privilege that it is. “I have missed you, too.”

He tries not to think of the small box in his pack; a final courting gift. A golden lion with a ruby eye; Akielos’s mark. The gift to ask for Laurent’s hand in marriage.

“A little longer,” Laurent mutters, and Damen smiles fondly, allowing his lover to burrow deeper into his chest. 

*

When there is a knock on his door, Auguste doesn’t expect it to be Prince Damianos. He looks uncomfortable but resolute, and Auguste invites him in and sits on the chaise.

“Is there something the matter?” he asks.

It’s the second day of Damianos’s visit - the day before Laurent’s birthday - and Auguste has seen very little of either of them. Of course, Jord - following them, at Auguste’s order - reports back to him every night, so Auguste isn’t exactly ignorant as to what they do.

“I want to ask you permission to ask for Laurent’s hand.” Damianos says without preamble.

Auguste blinks. It is usual for suitors to ask the King’s permission before begining to  _court_  the prince, not when they’re already courting them. He decides not to mention it.

“If I say no?” He asks, not because he is considering saying no, but because he thinks it’s a reaction worth knowing.

Damianos’s smile fades, but he still looks determined.

“I will still ask for Laurent’s hand.” He says. “He wants you to approve. I wish for you to approve. But I love him. You saying no will not change that.”

Auguste smiles slightly. “And if  _he_  says no?”

Damianos takes a deep breath. “If he says no, I will not press. It is his choice.”

Auguste tilts his head in agreement, and Damianos frowns lightly.

“Are you saying no?” He asks, and Auguste laughs.

“No, Damianos.” He says. “You have my permission.”

*

It does not happen during Laurent’s birthday dinner. Damen had considered it briefly, but he’d almost immediately realized Laurent would not appreciate the public pressure, so, instead, he waits until they’ve retired to Laurent’s rooms before bringing it up.

“I have brought you a gift, if you will accept it.” He says, trying not to sound nervous.

“Oh?” Laurent asks, undoing the laces at his neck. “May I see it?”

Damen smiles lightly and hands him the small blue box.

Laurent opens it and stills. Everything is quiet. Damen prays to every God he knows - Akielon and Veretian alike - that it will be to his liking.

Laurent looks up. “You - you mean it?”

Damen nods. “Come to Ios with me. Be my husband. My King.”

Laurent doesn’t react for a moment, and then a small, private smile spreads across his face. Damen falls in love with him all over again every time he does this.

“Yes, Damianos. I’d love to.” he says lightly, wrapping his arms around Damen’s neck. Damen lets his hands drop to Laurent’s thighs and lifts him, earning a yelp, and he laughs and makes sure Laurent’s legs are wrapped around his waist before he spins them around, causing Laurent to laugh.

“I love you, Laurent,” he murmurs, rubbing their noses together.

“I love you, too, Damianos.” Laurent says. He grins, bright-eyed, and pulls away lightly. “Now take me to bed.”

Damen laughs and does as ordered.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr @mfingenius :DD


End file.
